32/150: Put a spring in your step and celebrate frogs with us!

It’s officially the first day of spring (finally!) and it also happens to be World Frog Day! Check out this cool infographic about frogs made by the National Aquarium in Baltimore to learn more about these cool creatures.

Photo Credit: National Aquarium in Baltimore

Although it doesn’t feel like spring right now, the Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) may soon start to emerge for breeding once the snow melts; they are one of the first amphibians to emerge after winter. Wood frogs have a broad range across North America, and can tolerate the freezing of their blood and other tissues while they enter dormancy during winter. The frogs accumulate urea and glucose in their tissues, which act as cryoprotectants to protect from freezing. Wood frogs can survive several freeze/thaw events during winter! They live in forests and breed mostly in vernal ponds or ephemeral wetlands. This can be a good and a bad thing, as vernal pools are less likely to have large predators like fish, but can also dry up before their offspring have a chance to metamorphose. However, by being some of the first frogs to breed in early spring, it increases the tadpoles’ likelihoods of metamorphosing before ponds can dry up. #WorldFrogDay #FirstDayofSpring #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

31/150: Lady crickets like the tough guys!

The Spring Field Cricket, Gryllus veletis, is common across North America. You hear this cricket’s song in the springtime until late July. Many cultures have considered crickets lucky, associating their chirps with happiness. Male crickets chirp to attract mates, and females assess the quality of the potential mate by the quality of their chirps. However, not all chirps are as happy as they sound! Spring field crickets are actually quite aggressive, and will often ‘chirp’ their opponent after a scrap with another cricket – especially if other male crickets were watching them fight. In addition to ‘chirping’ their opponent, they will do a little celebration dance to celebrate their success. Showing off seems to have its advantages – lady crickets prefer dominant male crickets! This video shows a cricket fight in the lab, and of course the victory celebration! #ToughCricket #BugThugs #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

An adult female fall field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus, a close relative to the spring field cricket. Photo Credit: Kevinjudge goo.gl/qwPFlMNo – not a cricket field, a field cricket! Photo Credit: Andy from England goo.gl/nZzjNpA spring field cricket collected by our BIObus team from Grasslands National Park in July 2008. The specimen was netted from shale and juniper badlands in the park. Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics